Pieces of a Puzzle
by kiwisnake
Summary: to heck with summaries
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: The First Six Pieces

The store was buzzing with excitement

The store was buzzing with excitement. With Homecoming just a few weeks away all the girls at Madia High School were desperate for the perfect dress. Groups were bunched around the racks. There were no other shoppers. The people of Madia had learned a long time ago that when dances came around at the School the students would pack into the stores. It was a kind of a tradition.

Ashley, a junior at the High School, stood outside the dressing room stalls holding two bags in each hand. Beside her was Chelsea, holding three bags in one hand and two in the other. They were waiting for K.C., who was busy trying on another dress.

"Hurry up and pick one K.C.! You've tried on nearly all the dresses in the store!" Chelsea called, kicking the door to K.C.'s stall.

"Alright! I think I found one." K.C. waltzed out of her stall in her normal cloths. As a rule the three friends never showed each other their dresses before the dance. K.C. walked over to her friends, taking three bags from Ashley and two from Chelsea.

"I take it that we can go home now?" Ashley asked. She didn't like to stay out long.

"After we eat lunch," K.C. said a smile on her face. She was determined to keep her friend in the light as long as possible before she went into her hidey hole.

"Then we'll go," Chelsea promised, glaring at K.C. She wasn't very fond of K.C's forcing Ashley out even though it was about the only way Ashley would stay out of her home for more than an hour.

As the three walked through the packed store and into the open walkways they made their way to the food court.

"What should we eat?" K.C. asked. "I'm in the mood for pasta."

"How about a nice sea food lunch?" Chelsea inquired.

Ashley was silent for a moment, and then said, "I'd rather eat a nice juicy hamburger and ice cream."

K.C. smiled. "Alright. A hamburger and ice cream it is." When Ashley turned a glare on her she asked, "What?"

"You never agree so easily," Ashley replied.

"Well it's a trade off. I make you stay out of your house and you say what goes," K.C. told her.

It was slow at first, but the smile did come onto her face. Chelsea and K.C. smiled back.

Their personalities were as different from each other as day was from night. Ashley was the quietest, blunt, and hardly ever smiled. The only time she did was around her friends. Lonely from birth it was made worse when her parents were murdered in front of her eyes. She had fled to a protective shell she only came out from when she was with her friends. But in public places, she didn't want to stay out long.

She dressed in dark colors, but kept her hair a lovely gold blonde and always left it down and wore enough eye make up to have her lovely blue eyes seem to pop. Today she wore a red and black plaid mini skirt and a black top with a silver skull on it. She wore black leg warmers and white sneakers, and a sweat band encircled her left wrist. She excelled at English, Dance, and Choir.

Chelsea was always talking, never said anything she thought might hurt a person's feelings, and was almost always smiling. She was always a stand out person, but a lot of the times it was a fake attitude in order to hide her troubles at home and with her boyfriend. Like Ashley and K.C. she was a junior at Madia High, and wasn't too fond of any of her classes. She didn't have a job while Ashley and K.C. did.

Dressed in bright colors, as she almost always did, she wore a stand out yellow shirt decorated with multicolored butterflies, and low rider capris that had sequins in the design of flowers down the side. She wore white flip flops, had her long brown with its blonde highlights up in a high pony tail, and wore make up to make her hazel eyes stand out.

K.C. was by far the meanest of the three due to mistreatment from her father. Unlike Ashley she didn't use cruel honesty, but every other method possible to cut down anyone whom she didn't consider a friend. Not everyone was a victim, only the ones she didn't like and the ones who picked on her friends. She was almost always bickering with Chelsea, their personalities clashed like weapons, and wasn't afraid to let her anger get the better of her.

She wasn't fond of her academics but loved her sports. While Ashley's job was Club Entertainment K.C. worked at the All Fitness Gym as a coach for self defense. She occasionally taught Ashley and Chelsea, but they didn't always hang out at the gym.

K.C. dressed in dark, light, or bright colors and wore them in the simplest fashion. At the moment she had on a red tank top and black jeans. She wore white sneakers, had her thick brown hair out of her face with a head band, and wore no make up.

And even with these differences they were best friends and spent as much time together as possible, for it was the only way they could escape their sad worlds.

As they sat down at a booth outside of King Patty Chelsea said, "I heard we're getting three transfer students. They should be at Madia on Friday."

"So," K.C. grunted. "Unless they're guys I don't really care."

Ashley watched Chelsea with her blank stare, listening, her body tense, strands of hair falling into her eyes. It was scary when she did that. No one knew what she was thinking.

"Are they guys?" she asked in a monotone voice. K.C. stopped in the act of pulling opening her menu, her chocolate eyes on her friend.

"Yep. All three of them. I hear they're pretty cute too," Chelsea answered.

Ashley smiled a crooked smile. "Going to dump your boyfriend for one of them?"

Chelsea picked at her napkin nervously. Her boyfriend, Jacob, wasn't the best to be had. He had a temper that caused him to be violent at times. Whenever he was in a foul mood with Chelsea he would strike her or grab her hard enough to bruise. Had it only been once Ashley and K.C. might like him, but it happened enough for them to be watchful and for them to harbor a hate for him.

"Depends on how cute he is," Chelsea said, clearing her throat. Ashley raised an eyebrow but said nothing. K.C. looked from one to the other. When her gaze lingered on Ashley the blonde turned to her friend and smiled. K.C nodded and before Chelsea could say anything ordered.



The ride home was nearly silent. Ashley had her headphones on, and considering that K.C. and Chelsea could hear the music, they knew it was on so loud that she wouldn't be able to hear them.

"You do know what she's planning don't you?" K.C asked, tearing her gaze from the road long enough to glance at Ashley through the rearview mirror. Ashley had her face pressed against the cool glass of the window, her eyes on the passing view. She didn't see her friend's gaze.

"Of course I do," Chelsea answered. She looked down hat her cell phone as it buzzed in her hand. Jacob…again. He had sent her over a dozen messages throughout the day, asking her where she was, when she would be back. She was starting to get angry. She didn't like being controlled.

"I hope it works," K.C. said snappishly, glancing at the cell phone with irritation. "He _has _to go."

Chelsea nodded in agreement. She herself was getting ready to throw the phone out the window.

"Well?" K.C. asked.

"Chelsea said nothing as she typed in all capitals: I'll be back when I get back! Take five chill pills and wait! after reading his brief message: Hurry up I don't have all day.

When they stopped at the intersection leading to Ashley's house K.C. snagged the phone and read the message.

"You'd think he was waiting for sex or something," she said laughing. Chelsea growled and took the phone back.

"I'd rather sleep with a pig," she said.

K.C. laughed harder as she eased on the accelerator. "You might want to change that. Sleep with Jacob and you _will _be sleeping with a pig!"

"True," Chelsea, making a face and sharing in the fun.

K.C. stopped the car in front of Ashley's house. The teen hopped out without a word and quickly walked up to her front door. When she disappeared behind the protective barrier Chelsea said, "We should hook her up too."

"Yeah," K.C. agreed as she watched the house that hid her friend. "She needs someone other than us. Someone who will watch her, love her, cherish her, treasure her, spoil her."

"Don't we do that?" Chelsea asked frowning.

K.C. rolled her eyes and started forward. "In a different way. I mean, we can only do so much. She needs to know that other people love her, and are capable of loving her, besides us."

Chelsea nodded. What could she say after that? Later she would discuss with Ashley about hooking K.C. up.

They sat in silence for a while, and then K.C. asked quietly, "Does Jacob want you over at his house?"

"Yep. He want's to watch movies together," Chelsea answered. She could sense the protectiveness pouring out of every pore of K.C.'s body. "I'll be fine K.C.," she said softly, not looking up.

They sat in still quiet all the way to Jacob's house. Chelsea left her friend with a quiet good-bye. As Chelsea vanished behind Jacob's door, K.C. began to feel queasy. Looking at the house she thought that it laughed and mocked her for leaving her friend behind as she drove away. In the pit of her stomach she knew something would happen.



Tasuki sighed irritably and scrubbed a hand through his hair. He had been walking around for hours, it was getting late, and he now had to walk all the way back to Tamahome's house. He hadn't had the intention of getting so far, but bored to tears at Tama's house and not necessarily happy with the prospect of moving, he'd gone on what he liked to call an adventure. Chichiri and Tamahome would call it running away, and deeply thinking about it Tasuki knew that they were right.

Glowering at nothing in particular he stared at the perfect houses around him. _I hate perfect,_ he thought. Just as he was about to turn around and retrace his steps two voices called out to him.

"Tasuki!" Recognizing the voice he turned to see Tama and Chi running towards. They stopped in front of him and bent to catch their breath.

"How'd you find me?" Tasuki asked in a mildly grumpy voice. Chichiri stood up straight and clutched at his side.

"We saw you walking down the street when we came out of Wal-Mart. We've been searching for you for hours. We got held up by traffic. Tama wanted to keep going but he would've been killed so I had to stop him. That was no easy feat, and _you_ are a darn fast walker," he said, explaining completely although he knew Tasuki didn't really care for details.

"What were you doing?" Tama asked after his wind returned.

"Checking out the town," Tasuki answered, shrugging and turning away.

"Find anything interesting?" Chi asked.

"A couple of cool looking clubs, a freaking big mall, an arcade, a decent movie theatre, and some nice looking restaurants."

"Want to see more before we head back? We should take a look at the school."  
"Which way is it?"

"In the direction you were headed."

Tasuki thought a moment, and then nodded. "Sure, why not? I would like very much to see the hell you two will be attending."

"You will be going too," Chi snapped a frown on his face.

"Come on you guys, not now," Tama said, slinging an arm around each of their shoulders. "Let's just take a quick look, and then we'll go to the movies or something."

"Fine with me," Tasuki said simply. Chichiri said nothing. The three friends walked down the sidewalk in silence.



The day had gone so well, there had been very little fighting with K.C., Ashley hadn't run away when they made her stay out, and Jacob had been fine when she first showed up. So what had gone wrong? All that had happened was that she had said no, she didn't want to, not yet. Why did he have to get so violent?

Those thoughts and many more like them tumbled around Chelsea's head as she lay on the floor, whimpering, Jacob looming over her. Her body hurt in all the places he had hit her, and from where she had hit the walls, floor, and furniture. She had bruises and cuts, and a desperate fear was starting to well its way up her body. She could die if this continued, he wouldn't let up, and no one would come to help her. She had to find a way to make it stop. She had to find help…

Decision made, she shifted to stand. When she reached her feet Jacob shoved her against the wall, pinning her with his body. Scared, knowing how mad he would get, she found the courage to push him away and make a mad scramble for the phone. She dialed as she ran through the house, not stopping. She would run until she passed out if she had to. It was better than risking stopping in a room, having him break in, and beat the life out of her.

_Pick up; please pick up,_ she thought desperately. Halfway through the first ring there was a click.

"Hello?" the voice sounded anxious, as if waiting for a call.

"Ashley! Please you have to—,"Chelsea was cut off as something heavy slammed into her back, nicking her head. Pain exploded throughout her body as she hit the wooden floor, but all she could do was whimper. As she fought to stay shake off her dizziness and confusion a shadow came over her.

"You're going to pay for that," came a deep, angry voice. There was a skittering sound and a thumping noise as the phone hit the far wall. "You'll regret defying me. No one says no to me."



Ashley pelted down the street, her bare feet smacking the pavement. She'd known this would happen. She just knew it. Hearing K.C. say he it sounded like Jacob was waiting for sex had made all of her mental alarms go off. She knew it, and yet she didn't go to the house to keep an eye on her friend. That wouldn't have been the way to help her. But now that her friend had called it was okay. She could help her now.

Not bothering to evade them she dashed past three boys, shouting "Excuse me!", and without thinking about them ran on ahead.



Their loud laughter peeled through the night air. The joke hadn't even been that funny, but it did feel good to laugh. _It's been awhile since I've done that,_ Tasuki thought, wiping tears from his eyes. On his left Tamahome had a huge grin on his face, while on his right Chichiri shook with silent chuckles.

"So what do you think-" Tasuki was cut off as something pushes past him with a loud "Excuse me!" He stared in wonderment at the back of a blonde girl who was running like hell was chasing after her. Without breaking stride she rounded the corner.

"What was all that about?" Tama asked, scratching his head.

"Maybe we should find out," Chichiri replied, a frown on his face. The boys took off after the girl. When they turned the corner she was nowhere to be found...but they could hear screaming and yelling. After a moment of listening Chichiri pointed to a house six doors down. "Over there."

"Damn!" Tasuki said. "She runs fast!" They ran up to the house, up the steps, and through the front door which had been broken in.

They froze. On the living room floor was the girl who had gone flying past--and she was in a tussle with a boy. Off to the side, away from the battle, another girl lay curled in the fetal position. Her arms covered her face; her highlighted brown hair was wrapped in her fingers. Tamahome moved towards the fight while Chichiri and Tasuki made their way towards the girl on the floor. Whey they reached her Chichiri knelt down and gently touched her shoulder. She whimpered and flinched away. Her arms were covered in bruises.

"What the hell?" Tasuki whispered. Chichiri looked up at him, his eyes wide with shock. Tasuki looked over to the fight. Tamahome had managed to yank the boy away, and was in the process of dragging him away from the blonde.

"Tasuki," Chichiri said slowly as he too watched the scene. "Grab her." Tasuki glanced at his friend in confusion, then returned his gaze to the blonde...and read the signs. Moving swiftly he made his way towards her but he was too late. Hissing like a hell cat she launched herself at the boy, taking Tamahome down with them. The deranged look in her eyes promised pain and tears streamed down her cheeks.

Tamahome wriggled out from under the under the mess but not without getting kicked once or twice. Used to the pain he reached into the fray once more and proceeded to tear the two apart. Tasuki assisted him. The girl was like a barnacle. He managed to pry her loose, and before she could struggle free, he wrapped strong arms around her waist and flung her over one shoulder.

"NO!" she shrieked, beating at his back with her fists. For a petite thing she sure packed a punch. "PUT ME DOWN! I'M GOING TO KILL HIM! PUT ME DOWN! LOOK AT WHAT HE DID TO CHELSEA!"

"Exactly," Tasuki said as he set her down next to whom he guessed was Chelsea. "Look at what he did. Right now your friend needs you at her side. She won't let me or Chichiri touch her. Just let Tamahome and me handle this." He backed away carefully but she made no attempt to move. She stared at him with pretty but angry eyes for a moment before turning her attention to her friend. Chichiri immediately backed away. Tasuki went back to Tamahome and the boy.

"Chichiri." Chichiri looked over at Tamahome, who had the boy pinned to the ground on his stomach. His voice was soft and angry. Without a word Chichiri looked about for the phone, which he found against the far wall. Trotting over he picked it up and found it on.

"I take it she called you?" he asked, looking over at the blonde and Chelsea. Tasuki and Tamahome did the same. Chelsea had managed to crawl onto the blonde's lap. The blonde nodded without saying a word, keeping her main focus on her friend.

In the silence that followed, broken only by Chichiri speaking into the phone, Chelsea's tear filled voice bubbled up from its hiding place. "Ashley...you came for me." The boys looked over and watched as Ashley tightened her grip on her friend.

"Of course I came you silly goose. I'm always here for you, you know that. I'll always protect you." Ashley stroked her friend's hair, oblivious to the gazes of the strange boys who had helped.

"The police are on their way," Chichiri said, breaking the silence once more. Ashley held out a hand.

"Please. I would like to call K.C.," she said in a soft voice. Chelsea hugged her closer.

"Jacob's in trouble," she whispered as Chichiri walked over, handed Ashley the phone, and sat down next to them.

Ashley laughed. "You bet." Looking at they boys as she dialed K.C.'s number she said, "You had better guard him. K.C. is going to be pissed."

Chelsea raised her head from her friend's shoulder. "Ashley! You just said the word 'pissed'!"

"Because I'm fit to be tied," Ashley responded. She smacked Chelsea on the side of the head gently. "And how could you think of that at a time like this? Hello? K.C.? Of course it's Ashley who else would it be? Hmmm, well, about Chelsea. You might want to get over to Jacob's house. What did he do? What do you think he did?! He beat the crap out of her! You can guess why. I can find out from Chelsea. Don't worry he's still alive. All right. I'll see you."

Ashley hung up the phone, cool as a spring lake. Her eyes on Jacob she asked, "Chelsea what set him off?"

Chelsea stiffened. After a slight hesitation, she whispered softly in her friend's ear. The calmness that had settled over Ashley disappeared as fast as it had come. Not speaking she settled Chelsea against the back of the couch and got to her feet. Chelsea drew her knees up to her chest and watched with wide eyes as Ashley walked over to Jacob.

The red-headed boy who had stopped her before, Tasuki was his name? stopped her again. His tall frame blocked Jacob and the boy named Tamahome from her view. His hands rested lightly on her arms and he watched her with amber eyes.

"Let me go." Her voice came out a dart secreted with poison.

"Not if you're going to kill him," Tasuki said softly. The others watched and waited, feeling the tension build. Jacob could feel his heart beating in his mouth. "What did he do?" The question came only so she could hear. Ashley eyed him, judging. Then she got on tip-toe and murmured in his ear. Gripping her arms he turned to look over his shoulder at Tamahome. Tamahome read the message there and his angry look intensified.

"Chichiri switch me places. I might "accidentally" break his neck," he snarled.

Chichiri stood and changed places with Tamahome, holding Jacob firmly against the floor. He didn't bother to ask what had happened. If he knew he would probably want to hurt Jacob too, and somebody had to hold him.

Some long minutes later K.C. arrived with the police close behind. K.C. was in a flying rage. Chichiri had to restrain her while the police questioned and arrested Jacob.

...

So all you wonderful readers out there don't think I am plagerizing(did I spell it right? You know that fun word teachers like to say when they tell their students to write an essay or a research paper? Yeah that one.), I do not own Fushigi Yugi.  
Nor do I own the characters. Wish I did though. I would kill to be able to draw like that(well maybe not kill).


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Another Piece

Saturday Night: Two weeks after Jacob incident

Chelsea yawned hugely, covering it with a hand. K.C. looked over at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Tired?" she asked as if it wasn't obvious.

"No," Chelsea said, denying the obvious. K.C. shrugged and yawned. Chelsea shook her head and smiled. "Are you tired?"

"No." K.C. stood up from the bench she was sitting on and adjusted her dress. It was a single strapped mini, revealing her tan muscular legs, with ruffles falling out in layers down to her mid-thigh and ruffles on the strap. Its color was a pumpkin orange with black trim along the edges of the ruffles. An orange rose tipped in black and with black leaves was pinned to the front of the strap. Her thick brown hair was curled and pinned up with little roses similar to the one on her dress. Her heels were black and lifted her off the ground by an inch.

Chelsea smoothed out the skirt of her own dress, which was a tube top with a floor length skirt. In the center at the top of her bodice a black rose with bright green leaves was pinned as a broach. The dress itself was a lovely ruby red with black flower designs starting at the left side of her waist to wrap around her right side and back over to stop at mid-thigh at the front. Patches of black flowers were splotched around the bottom end of her skirt. Her blonde streaked hair was curled and pinned up halfway in the back with a red rose barrette. Her shoes were black, one inch heels, with a single clear strap decorated with a red bow.

"You look amazing!" The two girls turned to see Chi and Tama walking towards them, Tama in black slacks, a dark blue button up shirt, black dress shoes, and a black windbreaker, and Chi in black slacks, a lavender button up shirt, black dress shoes, and a black jean jacket. Both of their ties hung loose around their necks.

"Wow. The difference in your outfits is astounding," K.C. commented, plopping herself back down on her bench. Chelsea laughed while Tama and Chi looked a little depressed. "But you look good in lavender!" K.C. winked at Chi. He blushed.  
"Where's Ashley?" Tama asked as he walked over to Chelsea.

"We don't know. Walking probably; she likes to spend some alone time before coming to dances. She's not one for crowds." Chelsea smiled at him while he slipped a corsage on her wrist. He smiled back at her. They turned their attention to Chi, who had just put K.C.'s corsage on her wrist.

"Speaking of missing people, where's Tasuki?" K.C. asked. Chelsea glared at her but K.C. ignored it.

Chi shrugged. "We left him at home. He might come he might not."

"I hope he doesn't," Chelsea mumbled. K.C. rolled her eyes, Tama looked down at the ground, and Chi shifted uncomfortably.

"Listen Chelsea, I know what he did was messed up, but can't you let it go?" Tama asked as he returned his gaze to her.

Chelsea shook her head. "Not unless he apologizes, and it's going to have to be big," she snarled. K.C. moved slightly but it went unnoticed.

"And if he does come?" Chi asked.

"He had better not let me see his face," Chelsea grumbled.

Tama cleared his throat, and in an attempt to clear the danger zone commented to Chi, "So Mr. Goodie-Two-Shoes what do you think of K.C.'s dress?"

Chi's face immediately turned a bright red. K.C. watched him from the corner of her eye as he said, "I've learned not to comment on her cloths, unless I really mean that I like them." The group laughed. The tension gone they were free to talk and joke. After long minutes Tama checked his watch.

"The dance starts in a couple of minutes," he told the others.

Chelsea craned her neck, searching the grounds as other students arrived, looking for Ashley.

"Do you see her?" K.C. asked. Chelsea shook her head, and just as she pulled her cell phone from her small, red handbag Chi nudged K.C. with his elbow and pointed, saying, "Over there." The others turned in the general direction, watching as Ashley approached black heels in hand.

"You walk barefoot?" Tama asked, staring at her tiny bare feet.

"Heel hurt," she responded blandly.

"Forget the shoes you look _gorgeous_!" Chelsea squealed. And it was true. Ashley's dress was black and white, with a knee length skirt. Black straps sloped gracefully off her shoulders, and white, lacey floral designs weaved in an intricate pattern at the top of her bodice. A wide, white silk belt was wrapped around her waist and tied in a bow on her left side. Pinned to the knot of the bow was a white, black tipped rose with dark green leaves. Her blonde hair was curled into gentle waves and hung loose. No one failed to notice the corsage on her wrist.

"Who's the lucky man?" K.C. asked.

"Somebody we know?" Chelsea prodded.

"You'll find out soon enough," Ashley answered. "When does the dance start?"

Tama smiled. "You got here just in time. The doors open in about…right now."

The group of five fell in to line.

Patience wore thin as the counselors ushered the students in two at a time. When they were finally inside they put their stuff in the locker room and made their way to the dance floor. Students were massed everywhere. K.C. and Chelsea took hold of Ashley's hands, guiding her through the mess of people.

The dance floor beneath their feet at last they moved to a clear area away from the mingling bodies.

"I hate crowds," Ashley said. "Why do they have to group like that? There's no space to walk! Gosh! Inconsiderate much!"

"You better stay close Ash," Tama commented. "In a crowd like this a shorty like you could get lost."

Ashley glowered at him, turned on her heel, stomped towards the nearest table, and sat down. Tama immediately went to apologize while the others laughed.

"He's not very good at being mean," K.C. commented. "I'm not sure if that's good or bad."

"In your guys' point of view it would depend on the situation. In our point of view it is a good thing," Chi said.

"Let's not get too deep now," Chelsea said, moving towards Ashley. "We came here to have fun, not discuss life problems. Let's save that for after the dance." Chi and K.C. shrugged, and then followed.

"So when are we going to meet Mr. Mysterious?" K.C. asked, sitting down next to Ashley.

"When he gets here," came the reply.

"He didn't mail you the corsage did he?" Chi questioned. "Did he say he was going to meet you?"

"No he did not mail me the corsage and yes he did say he would meet me," Ashley responded, smiling at him. "As a matter of fact he drove me here."

"He could drive you but not walk with you?" Chelsea inquired curiously.

"He told me to catch up to you guys while he took care of the bike."  
"Bike?"

"_Motorcycle _gees."

"He, he, he! Who is 'he'!?" Tama nearly yelled.

Ashley raised an eyebrow at him, then looked around him at the other side of the gym. A smile lit up her face and she waved enthusiastically. Everyone turned to see who it was…and froze. Coming towards them was Tasuki. He was dressed similar to Chi and Tama, with the only difference being a white button up shirt that showed off his tan and the two top buttons undone and a black leather jacket.

K.C. smiled knowingly but Chelsea turned a fierce glare on Ashley. "You came with _him_?" Ashley nodded slowly. "Even after what he did to you?"

"He apologized."  
"And you trust him?"

"And I'm honored she does." Chelsea whirled to see Tasuki standing directly behind her. She flushed. "I learned my lesson, and I don't intend to do what I did again."

"Prove it!" Chelsea hissed at him before stomping away.

"How can he if you won't' give him the chance!" Ashley shouted after her, jumping out of her chair, tears welling up in her eyes. Tama and Chi fidgeted.

"I'll go talk to her," K.C. said, leaving the group in search for Chelsea, determined to set her straight.

"I think I'll go get some punch," Tama said, pulling at his collar. He left in a hurry, Chi following. Tasuki winced.

"Maybe I should have stayed at a distance," he said, closing the distance between him and Ashley. He cupped her face in his hands and brushed her tears away with his thumbs. "Oh I made you cry and I promised I wouldn't."

"It's not you it's Chelsea," said sniffling.

"And who is the cause for her being angry at you? I am, so yes it is me. I'm sorry I've caused so much trouble."

"Don't worry about it," Ashley whispered, snuggling up to him. She breathed deep. "Mm! You smell like s'mores."

"I eat them whenever I feel like dirt, which now has been for a long time. The scent kind of stuck."

"It's alright. I love s'mores." Ashley pressed her face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, running her fingers through her hair. Feeling content he looked around the room at the dancing students. Some were acting like idiots; some were dancing simply for the sake of dancing, while others were pressed together, taking each other in, looks of ecstasy on their faces.

"Hey," he whispered in Ashley's ear. She turned her face up to him. Her blue eyes danced with the flashing lights, exaggerated by her make-up. "You want to dance?" The smile that appeared on her face was bright and lovely.

"I'd love to."



Chelsea paced the floor of the empty lobby, doing her best to stem the flow of tears. She had no clue how Ashley could forgive the monster. She shivered. Just looking at Tasuki made her remember that day…

"Where's Ashley?"

K.C. looked up from her Inuyasha manga. "In there," she answered, nodding at the gym. "She's practicing a dance with Tasuki." Chelsea flopped down next to her. There was a moment of slice, which K.C. took to read a couple more sentences from the manga before marking her page.

"Why are we waiting out here?" Chelsea asked, gesturing around at the area. They sat on the grass in a little park like section in front of the gym. Behind them were the stairs to the upper campus. The time was about half an hour after school.

"She doesn't want us to see it. She says it is a surprise," K.C. answered.

"Does she talk to you about her dance class?"

"Of course not. But it's obvious she's glad Tasuki's in it."

Chelsea smiled. In the week following the incident with Jacob she and her friends found themselves mingling with Tamahome, Chichiri, and Tasuki. Chelsea found herself attracted to Tama, K.C. learned she had an affinity for Chi, and although she denied it strongly it was no secret Ashley like, if not loved, Tasuki. What was nice was that the boys seemed to be returning their affections. Tama was nearly glued to Chelsea's hip, Chi couldn't stop thinking about K.C. and the affect she was having on him, and Tasuki, for all his playboy ways, was intrigued by Ashley.

The silence was suddenly shattered by the loud slamming of a door hitting a wall. Startled by the noise both girls looked to the doors of the gym to see Ashley charging out, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Ashley!" Tasuki ran out after her. "Ashley stop!"

She didn't stop, but kept her mad dash for the stairs. Chelsea went to intercept her. K.C. started to follow, but hesitated when something at the gym doors caught her eye. Anger filled her and she continued on to her friends.

"Ashley what happened?" Chelsea asked, catching her friend by the arm. "What did he do?"

"He-he was-I walked in-and he was…" Ashley wiped at her tears furiously. "He had his hands all over her!"

"All over who?"  
"Jan eel!"

"Ashley it wasn't what you think!" Tasuki shouted. Chelsea turned to look at him. K.C. had him by the arm, a strange look on her face. Sudden rage filled Chelsea, and she stalked over to him. In a flash of black her fist caught him square in the jaw. He staggered back, eyes wide with shock.

"Asshole!" she shouted at him, just as Tama and Chi rounded the corner, finished with soccer and baseball practice. They ran over and Tama managed to grab hold of her hand before she could strike Tasuki again.

"Chelsea what is going on?" Tama asked.

"Ask him," she shouted, the pulled free. She went over to Ashley and walked off with her.

"Wait!" Tasuki shouted. Chi held him back. "Ashley!"

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you?"

Chelsea stopped pacing to look at K.C. "What the hell is wrong with me?! What is up with her?! She just slapped him in our faces! And how could she just forgive him like that? How could she do this, knowing I wouldn't be happy?"

"I don't know why you're asking these questions. You know how she is. She could care less about what we think, unless she herself was worried, and she isn't going to let someone else's anger keep her from what she wants to do. And she forgave him because he truly was sorry. You should have seen the look on his face," K.C. said, sitting herself down on a table top.

Chelsea stared at her friend. "You know about this?"

"Yep. Ashley came to me for advice; right after Tasuki explained everything to her and apologized."

"And you told her to believe him, to trust him?"

"I told her I wanted her to do just that yes, but also to do what she felt."

"And?"

"What she felt the moment you pulled her away was maybe there was more than what she saw. And she was right."

Chelsea said nothing for a while, then, "Why didn't she ask me?"

K.C. sighed sadly. "She knew you would have told her no, don't believe him. You didn't want to let her go, be with someone other than us. But this is good for her Chelsea. Remember how she used to only smile around us two?"

"Used to?"

"She smiles around the boys. She lets them see her, what she is outside the blank faces and guarded eyes. Especially Tasuki. She smiles a whole lot more than she used to. Just let her go. We're going to drift apart now that we have Tamahome, Chichiri, and Tasuki. We'll spend more time with them individually. We'll still be friends, and we'll still be close. But it can't just be us like it has been. It won't work like that."

Chelsea nodded sadly as she sat down in a chair opposite K.C. Her friend watched her silently. "I just wish it could stay like it has been," Chelsea whispered.

"No you don't. If it was like that you would still have Jacob, you wouldn't have Tamahome." K.C. narrowed her eyes. "And if you dare to wish that I didn't have Chichiri, or that Ashley didn't have Tasuki, I _will _hurt you." Chelsea glanced up at her.

"Oh K.C. I'm so sorry! I've been acting like an idiot! Ashley must hate me so much!"

"No but she does think you hate her." The two girls turned to see Tasuki leaning against the frame of the door. K.C. hopped off of her seat and walked away.

"I'll leave you two at it. By the way Tasuki where's Ashley?"

"She's with Tama and Chi, dancing with them. You might want to help. She's working Tama but Chi is still a little scared," Tasuki answered, winking at her meaningfully. K.C. shoved him playfully before running back into the gym to show Chi how to work it. The silence that was left behind her wake was deep, and for Chelsea, a little awkward.

She got up from her seat and started pacing the room, her gaze always avoiding his. She just couldn't talk to him. She wanted so much to forgive him, but something inside wouldn't let her. She slowly turned to meet Tasuki's gaze. He had been watching her the entire time. She didn't know what to say. All she could think of was…

"I'm sorry," they said in unison. At any other time it would have been funny. However, there was too much tension between the two.

Tasuki, fed up with the situation, started, "Look Chelsea I…"

"No Tasuki. I'm the one that should apologize," Chelsea interrupted, "I know you actually didn't mean to hurt Ashley, but I guess I'm just scared."

"Of what?" he questioned.

"Of losing Ashley. I know she will eventually leave but that doesn't mean I have to like it. All I want to say is that I'm glad she has someone like you." She smiled, glad she had worked off the nerve to get that off of her chest. "And I really hope that you can forgive me and I would love to hear your side of the story. Apparently no one else is going to tell me."

Tasuki laughed. "Of course I forgive you stupid. I would react the same way truth be told. And I'll gladly tell you. Ashley was but you didn't give her the chance," he said as he sat down. Chelsea took a seat next to him. "Now this is exactly what happened. None of it is a lie...

Tasuki groaned as he stretched languorously. He felt his muscles pull and his bones pop. With a satisfied sigh he dropped his arms and twisted around in a circle. He looked towards the door as he heard it open and his heart fell. It was just Janelle. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. In the blackness of his closed lids he saw Ashley as she had been earlier that day in Dance class. He saw once more as her lithe body moved in time to the music, how her hips swayed, how her arms flowed like water into the movements…turned him on.

"Tasuki?" He opened his eyes to see Janelle staring up at him with a pouty look on her face. She batted her eyelashes at him and he wanted to puke. "Can you help me with the Tango we learned today?" She asked in a falsely husky voice. The urge to gag worsened. "Just for a moment."

Never one to be rude he agreed to help her and he couldn't help but feel revolted when she said she needed help in the middle section of the dance…the part that was all touchy feely.

Just as they were starting to dance the door opened and their stood Ashley, dressed in her practice cloths and ready to go. Her eyes shot as wide as saucers and her mouth fell open. As quickly as the surprise came it was gone and she was angry, very angry. Her face turned her pink and her eyes narrowed. She gripped the doorknob so hard her hand turned white.

"Oops," Janelle whispered, sliding away from Tasuki. He forgot all about her.

"Ashley wait a moment and let me explain. It isn't what you think," he said moving towards her. She did not give him the moment. In the blink of an eye she was gone, the door slamming behind her. Turning a glare to Janelle, who just stood with a sweet smile on her face, he ran after her…

"You know the rest," Tasuki said.

"I feel so stupid!" Chelsea replied, slapping herself upside the forehead. "It was just a simple mistake! And I should have known it had something to do with Janelle. That slut! She ticks me off! Tasuki I am so sorry I ever doubted you."

"Awe, it's alright," Tasuki told her as he ruffled her hair. She slapped his hand away and stood up. Tasuki followed her.

"From now on I will give you the benefit of the doubt. I will hear your side of the story if something else goes wrong instead of just judging you right away," Chelsea said as she held her arms open for a hug.

"And they said you couldn't be taught," Tasuki replied as he hugged her.

"We just get back together and already you're seeing someone else," said a teasing voice from behind them. Chelsea pushed Tasuki aside and ran to Ashley. The red head shook his head and laughed.

"Ashley will you forgive me for being rude, and mean, and stupid, and dumb, and unthoughtful, and stupid…did I mention stupid?"

Ashley laughed and hugged her friend. "It's okay Chelsea. And you did mention stupid. But that's okay too because I was acting like an idiot about the whole thing as well. You're not the only one at fault here. It seems K.C. was the only one with a brain in this situation," she told her.

"Come on you guys! Quit the mushy crap and get in here and dance!" K.C. shouted. Ashley tugged on Chelsea's hand and led her into the room. Tasuki followed them, still laughing to himself. These girls were absolutely silly.

...

I know the characters have issues. I'm going to move it along now. The pace is feeling a little slow. Just so you know, in the next chapter we will be three months ahead. The relationships are in full swing. Get ready for the M ratings.


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, here goes chapter three. It's K.C.'s turn now. It's time she gets some spotlight. She is a very important character.

As I said, I do not own Fushigi Yugi or the characters.

………………………..

Ch. 3 K.C's and Chi's Pieces

"Come on K.C. We can't just barge in like this," Chelsea said as she watched K.C. open the front door of Ashley's house with bravado.

"Sure we can. She's our friend," K.C. responded. "ASHLEY! Come out, come out wherever you are! Where are you?"

"I'm in the kitchen," a calm voice answered. K.C. waltzed down the grand hallway to the huge kitchen. Chelsea followed, a little nervous. Ashley might act calm, but she was probably holding a rolling pin at the ready to throw at them the moment they walked through the kitchen entry way. She didn't like being disturbed in the morning.

"Hey Ashley we're going to go see a movie want to come with…" K.C.'s voice faded and Chelsea let out a soft "Ooohhhh!". Ashley turned to face them. She planted her hands on her hips, a spatula hanging in one hand.

"What?" she demanded. Chelsea pointed at her, her eyes wide as saucers and her mouth in a small "o". Ashley looked down at herself. She knew her hair was a little messy (she tossed around a lot in her sleep), and all she had on was one of Tasuki's T-shirts.

"Nice outfit," K.C. commented. "Is that all there is to it?"

"I have underwear on of course," Ashley replied as she turned back to the stove.

"Hey Ashley, did Tama call yet?" a male voice sounded from the direction of the hallway leading to the upstairs rooms. Chelsea's mouth dropped wider as Tasuki walked in from the other doorway, red hair mussed. He wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Oh! Hey you guys! You're just in time for breakfast! Ashley makes some mean pancakes," he said giving them a fanged grin.

"Ashley!" Chelsea squeaked.

"Don't worry Chelsea, we didn't do anything," Ashley assured her as Tasuki came over. He wrapped his arms around her waist and peeked over her shoulder.

"Actually I thought it was kind of funny. She just brushed into my room, said all of her pajamas were in the dirty cloths, and walked off with my shirt." He nuzzled her neck.

"Nock it off Tasuki or Chelsea will die of a heart attack."

"I will not!" Chelsea huffed.

"Yes you will," K.C. laughed. "So how about it Ashley, come to the movies with us?"

"I'm sorry K.C but-"

"Of course she's going to go," Tasuki interrupted. He looked down at Ashley. "I'll handle the stuff here." Ashley smiled at him.

"Sit down you guys and I'll make you breakfast," she said to her friends.

K.C. and Chelsea made their way to the table. K.C. plopped herself down on the chair nearest the door. She slung her legs across the chair next to her. Chelsea raised an eyebrow but did not comment. When Ashley walked over with a plate piled high with pancakes she calmly knocked K.C.'s feet off the chair. After gathering some clean plates and silverware from the dish washer Ashley plopped herself down next to her friend.

"What movie are we going to see?" Ashley asked as she served herself some pancakes and passed the plate around.

"I was thinking Prom Night," K.C. answered.

"NO!" Chelsea shouted, jumping away from the table. Tasuki paused in buttering his pancake.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked. "What's wrong with that movie."

"She hates scary movies," K.C. answered.

"She shouldn't hate this one, it's not a scary one."

"Well then what is it?"

"A suspense."

Silence followed. Everyone watched as Ashley lathered her pancakes in butter and powedered sugar.

"You guys are in trouble. She is going to be hyper all day," Tasuki warned.

"Don't we know it," K.C. muttered, shaking her head. Chelsea sat back down. She was stuck watching the movie. And she knew it.

"Can we-"

"No."

...

It was dark by the time the group walked out of Applebees.

"Did you see the look on his face?" Ashley asked, laughing hysterically.

"I told you we shouldn't have let her have dessert," Chelsea muttered to K.C. K.C. shrugged and responded to Ashley.

"Why _did_ you do that anyway?" she asked.

"I was returning from the bathroom, and I saw him making out with some chick different from the one he was sitting with. Then when I sit down, and he comes back, he starts kissing his date. I was angry. Then when I have to go again, I see him out in the parking lot tonguing a third girl! Then he comes back in and starts making on his date again. If I waited any longer he would have found some fourth chick and made out with her!"

"You are such a wonderful person," Chelsea commented.

"I know. It's one of my nicer quailities." Ashley responded dryly. After a moment of silence K.C. decided to ask the question that had been bugging her all day.

"So, Ashley, how long has Tasuki been with you?"

Chelsea stopped in the motion of opening the door to the passenger seat of K.C.'s car. Ashley halted. Chelsea bit her lip, as did K.C. Their friend looked up at them. A frown creased her face.

"I think it's been near three months," she told them calmly. Chelsea sighed inwardly, surprised. Ashley had changed a whole lot. "He's been so sweet. He cleans up the kitchen, since I cook. He washes his own sheets, cleans the house, cleans his own bathroom...and doesn't take advantage of me."

"Sounds like you've got it good," K.C. commented opening her door and getting into the car.

"Yeah," Ashley said dreamily with a sigh. "I do don't I?"

...

"Your dad is going to be pissed with captials all the way through," Chelsea said. K.C. shrugged.

"Let him be. It's not like he really cares about me anyways." They sat in silence for a while. "So how goes it with Tama boy?"

"You know just the ususal, we had sex last night and suprisingly it wasn't as bad as I though it wouold be. He's really good." Chelsea turned to see K.C. with a shocked expression on her face. Chelsea started to laugh and continued, '' K.C. you know that I said I would never have sex until I was married. Tamahome would never let me anyways, he's too much of a gentleman to do that... I hope. How about you and Chi?"

''Other than being my polar opposite? The same as you. Love him to death. He's taken my mind away from my father more times than I can count. He let me sleep over at his and Tama's house after that one fight with the old man. I have never seen him so mad. He was about ready to charge out of the house and go after the old bastard. I actually had to restrain him."

"Sounds like your affeting him as much as he's affecting you," Chelsea pointed out.

K.C. laughed.

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing."

"It is, trust me. You have no idea how good of a thing it is."

...

It was late when K.C. finally pulled into her driveway. She gripped the steering-wheel of her car in her hands as her heart leapt into her mouth. Her fingers turend white, the thudding of her heart loud in her ears.

"K.C.! Where the hell have you been?!" She looked up from the wheel to see her father on the front porch, fists on his hips. Had she been able to see his face she knew it would have been purple. "You get in this house right now!"

"No," she whispered. "I won't let you yell at me, not when you should have payed attention. You want to know where I've been check your cell-phone." She thrust the stick into reverse and pealed out of the driveway, tires screeching. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out where to stay. Tama was at Chelsea's house and Tasuki was staying with Ashley. She couldn't intrude.

The name of a single person slammed into her mind. Without a second thought she made a crazy U-turn.

...

"Chi?" Chichiri looked up startled. He put his book down and stood up.

"K.C.? What's wrong? What happened?" He went to her, wrapped his arms, and pulled her close against him. "Did you get into another fight with your dad.?" K.C. shook her head.

"I didn't even give him a chance. I wasn't going to let him shout at me for something he should have payed attention to." She pulled away from him, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Are talking about today? What do you mean he didn't pay attention? You told him you were going out right?"

"Yes. I left a note on the table and a message on his phone." She wiped at the tears that were now streaming down her face. Why was she crying? She was stronger than this. Her dad didn't yell at her, she didn't have to fight with him. "Can I stay here tonight?" she asked.

"Of coure you can. Just get one my shirts and a pair of shorts. You know where they are." He kissed her on the forehead before letting her make her way upstairs. As K.C. disappeared from view he leaned against the wall and thought. He wondered how long she and her father had been at odds, yelling and screaming and hating. Decision made he picked up the phone and dialed Ashley's number.

"How is K.C.?" Chi's sentence from in his mouth. He hated it when she did this.

"How did you know she was here?" he asked, smiling.

"Let's just call it my sixth sense. So?"

"She's fine, though crying up a storm. I have a feeling of what it's about. Can I ask you a question?"

"Feel free. About?"

"How long K.C. and her dad have been fighting?"

"Since her mom died, about seven years ago. Her dad kind of lost interest in her, not really caring where she is until she gets home late at night, not caring who she's with unless he actually sees them, not caring, not caring, not caring. But I honestly must say she was no help in the situation. She often did stuff to make it worse. Yes they were cries for attention, but not the attetention she wanted. She wants to see him smile at her, not hear him screaming at her. She sort of gave up on him...never really _gave him a chance_ actually, if you know what I mean."

Chi paused as an eerie feeling creeped across his shouldars. He shook it off as he reminded himself that K.C. probably said that to Ashley and Chelsea many times before, crying over the fight that did or did not happen. During the silence Chi heard Tasuki's voice in the background. He was calling to Ashley, asking him to join him in watching something about sharks. His voice was gentle as he spoke to her, a sound Chi hadn't heard in a long time. Ashley really helped Tasuki, without even knowing it. It was time he returned the favor.

"Thanks Ashley. How has Tasuki been?"

"Real good, and you're welcome. I've gotta go. You'll take care of K.C. for me?"

"With my heart."

"You sure are a sweet guy Chichi. I'll see you tommorrow." And with that, Ashley hung up. Chi put up the phone, then waited patiently for K.C. to come down from upstairs. When she did he was sitting on the couch, a serious look on his face. He waited patiently as she sat down next to him, resting her head on his shouldar. When she was settled he pulled her onto his lap, kissing her forehead.

"K.C. we need to talk," he whispered. He felt her stiffen, and held her close to reassure her. "You know how you said you never gave your dad a chance?" K.C. relaxed, but not a whole lot. She didn't like where this conversation was going. "That can work two ways. True you didn't give him a chance to yell at you, but you also lost another chance to talk to him. And I think that's why you're crying. It was another chance where you could have listened to him, let him vent, then when he was finished, talk to him."

"You're taking his side?" K.C. snarled weakly, struggling against him. "If I knew you were going to do that I wouldn't have come. I wouldn't have stayed!" Chi held her tightly.

"Will you let me finish?" he snapped. "That's your problem K.C. you never let anyone talk to you. You're so quick to judge and make assumptions. You know what K.C.? You're scared. Your scared of what the truth behind the matter might be. But you're going to face that fear, if I have to drag you to it. What I was going to say, before you interuppted me, was that he was going to listen to you too. Maybe not right after you talked, but afterwards. If you continued to talk to him, continued to believe in him like you did with Ashley and Chelsea, you wouldn't have faught for all these years. If you hadn't given up on him you would be with him now, talking and eating dinner together."

K.C. stilled, and the tears came stronger. No one had talked to her like that. She had always thought that Ashley would have done it, considering all the looks she'd gotten from her friend. But no. The one the words had come from was Chi. Now she knew what Chelsea meant when she said that she had been rubbing off on Chi. The words he said would have been ones that would have come out of her mouth. And Chelsea was right...it was a good thing.

"Thank you Chi," she whispered, wrapping her arms arounde his neck and kissing him. "Thank you for telling me the truth. And I will talk to him, tommorrow. I'll talk to him, and I'll hope, and I'll believe." She kissed him again, running her fingers through Chi's hair. "I'm going to bed. A long day lies ahead."

Chi smiled at her. "I'll be there," he said to her. She grinned then stood up. As she walked to the stairs, she paused and said, "Maybe it's not such a bad thing that I never talked to him. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have had all those nights with you. I wouldn't have had the chance to be stronger, the chance to be guided, to be shown I'm not as strong as I think I am."

...

"Come on Ashley. We can't just barge in like this," Chelsea said as she watched Ashley open the front doors of Chichiri's house with bravado.

"Sure we can. They're our friends," Ashley responded. She waltzed into the living room, strutting over to Chi, who sat awake on the couch, TV remote in his hand. She promplty moved Chi's elbows from his knees, sat herself on her lap, and put his arms around her lap. "Where's K.C.?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck playfully.

"I'm sure you know, little psychic," he replied smiling. He pulled her close and leaned back against the couch, gazing at the TV. Chelsea walked into the living room. She rolled her eyes with a small grin on her face.

"You talked to her last night?" Ashley asked. Chi nodded, squeezing her waist. She smiled, pecked him on the cheek, popped up off the couch, and ran up the stairs. Chi laughed the went into the kitchen. He pulled out two glasses and a carton of orange juice, pouring it into the glasses. As Chelsea walked in he handed her the glass.

"I see you're guy's relationship is as strong as ever," she commented as she took a sip.

"As good as your's and Tasuki's," Chi replied. He took a swallow of the juice, then left it on the counter. "So I take it this is what she meant when she said she would see me tommorrow?"

"Actually this is only half. She came over to invite you guys to go clubbing with us." Chelsea looked out the kitchen window. "Tasuki and Tama are waiting outside." Chi followed her gaze.

"Sorry," he said softly, we've got plans."

Chelsea looked at him questioningly. Before she could say something Ashley popped into the kitchen, K.C. behind her.

"Come on Chelsea. We'll meet them at the club. They're going to talk to K.C.'s dad." Ashley walked over to Chi and kissed his lips. "See ya later lover." She turned and walked over to K.C. "See you later as well. And wear that outfit you wore last time we went, you know, the booty shorts and really small shirt that might as well have been not there at all." K.C. glared and smacked her hard on the shouldar. Ashley laughed and ran from the room, K.C. close behind. Chi looked at Chelsea, a look of shock on his face.

"Don't ask," Chelsea whispered. She walked from the room, opening the front door in time for Ashley to dash past to the car. She hopped and closed the door, waving for Chelsea to hurry. K.C. stopped at the doorway fuming.

"I hate her," she growled. Chelsea laughed.

"I do too. I'll see you at the club. Good luck with your dad."

...

K.C. stared at the door to her house, taking deep even breaths. She looked over her shouldar to the car where Chi sat, waiting patiently. He waved her on, giving a smile of encouragement, a tender look in his eyes. She gave a weak grin back. Gathering her courage she opened the door and stepped inside. She could hear the TV going, and when she walked into the den, she saw her dad on the couch, hands clenched into fists.

"Dad," she called. "I'm sorry." He turned to look at her. She just stood there, looking into his eyes, waiting for his bellows. She watched as her dad took deep breaths...calming breaths.

"Come sit down," he said in an even voice. "We have some talking to do."

A couple of hours later, outside in the car, Chi's cell-phone buzzed cheerily in his pocket. He read the ID before answering. "You have something to do with the no yelling," he said with a smile.

"I believe the discussion went well?"

Chi watched as father and daughter hugged. "Yes, it did. You know, you could have let it go it's own pace."

Ashley's smiling voice came throught the phone with a loving tone, "True. But I wanted to her to have some light in the dark."

...

School's out and summer has started! That's where my story is headed. SUMMER! Sizzling romance (my friends told me only between a certain couple...take your guess), heated fights, some confusion, and a show up of another OC and two more Fushigi Yugi characters.

Please review. And have a great summer.


	4. Chapter 4

And this my friends is chapter four. Summer begins now.

...

Chapter Four: Summer Solving

"Ah! I always did love the beach!" K.C. stretched languorously as she lay down on her beach towel. Her skin, already tan, looked like sweet chocolate. Next to her Ashley lathered on the sun screen, freaked of the sun to the point of being terrified to come out of her house. She burned easily.

"I do too, it's the sun I have issues with." She glared at it through her designer sunglasses. "Why do you have to be full of poisonous UV rays? Do you live just to give us humans skin cancer?" The blonde flopped down on her towel and pulled a book out of her bag.

K.C. had decided that the group spend the first day of summer at the beach. Ashley had to be persuaded. Much of the coaxing came from Tasuki, who had sweet talked and kissed her out of spending another day indoors reading a book. Chelsea and Tama agreed at once. It would be a good way to spend time together, as the three girls were now busy spending time with their respective boyfriends.

Chelsea took her friends out shopping for new swimsuits. All three had bought one pieces; Ashley a white one with a navy blue skull and cross-bones on the right hip, K.C. a red and white Speedo, and Chelsea a turquoise with a large, white Hawaiian flower in the middle.

"Come on love!" Tasuki called from the water. "The waters great!" Like K.C. he looked edible. Ashley looked down from her book, back up to Tasuki, back to her book, and with an exasperated sigh put it back in the bag. She stood up and ran to the water, going in without stopping.

"I don't know how she can do that," a voice commented. K.C. looked up to see Chelsea and Tamahome standing behind her. "Isn't cold?"

"Nope. I've been in already, just taking a break," K.C. responded as Chelsea and Tamahome put down their towels next to her.

"Where's Chichiri?" Tama asked.

"At the snack shack, getting us some drinks."

"Alright. Watch my stuff for me Chels?" He kissed her forehead before heading off in the direction of the shack. Chelsea sighed dreamily as she watched him trot off.

"He looks so good without his shirt on," she breathed.

"No comment. But I have to admit I think the same with Chi. And Ashley, I think she lives off of Suki's abs," K.C. responded, putting some sun screen into her hands. "Glad you could make it. I thought I was going to be stuck with those two boys all by myself. They're like children and Ashley's no help at all." Chelsea pulled her hair away from her back while K.C. rubbed the sun screen in. The two friends caught up on news while they watched Ashley and Suki. It wasn't long before Chi and Tama joined them, handing the group drinks to Chelsea and K.C. before sprinting for the water.

The three boys flirted with Ashley, picking her up onto their backs and spinning her around, or showing off their swimming speed. She laughed, turning to look over her shoulder at K.C. and Chelsea. She rolled her eyes briefly before Tama and Chi demanded her attention.

"You know she just rolls in the attention," Chelsea said as she stood up. "Come on, I say we go rescue her."

"I'm all for it." The two girls ran full out for the ocean. Chelsea pounced onto Tama's back and the two fell beneath the waves. Seconds later they popped back up. K.C. started a splashing war with Chi, and before long everyone was involved. After long hours of goofing off and swimming, with Ashley going to shore periodically to put on more sun screen, Chelsea called it quits and made for the beach. K.C. followed her and then Tama, leaving Chi, Ashley, and Tasuki in the water. It wasn't until the sun was going down that they came in. Ashley yawned as she sat down on her towel.

"I'm beat. Anybody else ready to go home?"

"I am," Chelsea said. While waiting for the others she had packed up, so the only thing left for them to pick up was their towels. She handed Ashley, Chi, and Tasuki bottles of waters so they could rinse off their feet before putting on their shoes.

"So Ashley, was that so bad?" K.C. asked, picking up the towels and handing them to their owners.

"No. I didn't get burned." K.C. rolled her eyes. "And yes, I had fun."

"Good. That's all I wanted to know." The friends started for their respective cars. Tasuki hoisted Ashley up onto his back.

"You guys going to come over tonight?" he asked. "Ashley said that that was part of the plan."

"Yep. We'll meet you there," K.C. said, tugging Chi towards his red Mustang. "But first I gotta go home and get some pajamas. Of all things it's those I forgot."

"Chelsea and I will stop at the video store to pick up some DVDs. Any one's in particular?"

"Horror," Ashley muttered, closing her eyes. "Some nice horror films." She rested her head against Tasuki's shoulder. Parting ways Tasuki trudged over to Ashley's white Lexus. Being careful not to jostle her too much he opened the passenger door and gently set her down. As she yawned and rubbed at her heavy eyelids he buckled her in.

"You think you'll be able to stay up?" he asked as he knelt down beside her.

"Sure, just give some sugar and I'm good to go." Tasuki smiled at her, and she returned it with a tired one. "All I want to do right now though is get home."

"You've definitely been out longer than you must be used to," he teased. He kissed her lips gently. "Have we got enough sugar and snacks?" he asked once he was in the driver's seat.

"I made sure to pick some up while I was with Chelsea and K.C. the other day," Ashley answered. She snuggled down into her seat. "The first thing I'm gonna do when I get in is take a nice hot shower. Then I'll take a nap, and when you wake me up I'm going to eat a Twinki."

"I'm not sure that'll be enough," Tasuki commented as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Trust me, it'll be enough. Especially if it's after eight."

...

And enough sugar it was. Ashley was up and energized from that one Twinki, and kept adding fuel to the fire with soda and more sweets. The horror films also added their bit. The room was filled with screams. At one point in The Pulse, as one of the computer creatures was wriggling out of a washing machine, Chelsea was screaming hysterically. K.C. and Ashley joined in for the fun of it, but midway Ashley starting cracking up.

When the others looked at her as if she was crazy she said through her giggles, "What? He looks like an octopus."

It continued on into the night and into the early morning to four. All six of them passed out cold, even Ashley once the others made her stop eating sugar around one, with the TV still going.

Ashley was the first to get up, around two in the afternoon. She stepped around the others on her tip-toes and made her way into the kitchen. She quietly poured herself a glass of cold milk to wake herself up. She poured herself at least three more cups in the course of fifteen minutes. At the padding of soft footsteps she turned to find Tasuki in the doorway, rubbing sleep from his amber eyes. He smiled at her tiredly.

"Still sleepy?" she asked in a whisper, making her way towards him and kissing him.

"Just a little. How about you?"

"Darling I was born tired." She took another swallow of her milk. "But I'm slowly starting to wake up. Are the others still asleep?"

"Chelsea might as well be for all the activeness in her. K.C. woke up only to move onto the couch and fall back asleep. Tama and Chi are putting away the sleeping bags and pillows. I just finished cleaning up the candy wrappers," Tasuki answered.

"Think I should make everyone 'breakfast'?"

"Nope. Chi said as soon as he's done he going take K.C. home, and Tama is giving Chelsea a ride to her place." Tasuki yawned. "I'm going to go upstairs and going to take a proper nap." He kissed her 'good-night' and left. Not too much later Tama came in with a sleep-walking Chelsea to give her good-bye hug. Chelsea just barely managed a 'see ya later' before Tama had to carry her out to his blue Corovet so she didn't pass out on Ashley's kitchen floor.

Chi came next and gave her two kisses good-bye. One from K.C. and one from him. He ruffled her hair playfully and left, picking K.C. up off the couch on his way out. Ashley slowly made her way into the living room and looked at it. It was clean and empty save for the furniture. The TV was off. The sudden stillness made her feel strangely lonely. Frightened she ran up the stairs to her bedroom, where she found Tasuki curled up on her bed. Relief coursed through her as she quietly closed to door behind her, stepped up to the bed, set her glass of milk on the nightstand, and crawled onto the bed next to him. He woke himself up enough to wrap an arm around her waist, draw her in close, kiss her hair, and fall back asleep.

...

"Teanna emailed me to say she's coming back for a visit," Chelsea announced. She and her girlfriends were spending another day together. The boys were also spending some quality time together. While the girls were out at an old hangout the boys were at the arcade. At the moment the girls were eating a picnic that Ashley had packed.

"Tea? It's about time. I missed her. When's she coming?" Ashley asked. K.C. listened quietly, eating her sandwich.

"This weekend. And she says she's got some news."

"Good or bad?"

"She didn't say. All she told me was that it would set us off, and I think she meant in a bad way."

Ashley picked up her bottle of strawberry lemonade and thought deeply before taking a swallow. "I'm excited to find out."

...

"Nuriko?"

"Hey boys, did you miss me?" Chi, Tama, and Suki gaped as their old friend Nuriko stepped up and gave each of them a hug.

"How long have you been here?" Suki asked, returning the gesture.

"About a week." A dark frown suddenly corssed his pretty face. "Hotohori is here too."

"What's with the evil look?" Chi asked, returning to his video game.

"Yeah, I thought you loved the guy," Tama asserted quietly. Nuriko shook his head.

"I'm done with the gay stuff. Met a girl who knocked it right out of me. Unfortunately Hotohori is after the same one, or was. He made a mess of it. Nearly killed the guy. Tea said to leave it though, that she had bigger plans for him. I guess hell really hath no fury like a woman scorned." He sat down at one of the game consoles but didn't play.

"So tell us about this...Tea you said her name was?" Tasuki asked, turning away from the game he was playing. The race car he was driving crashed and burned but he didn't care.

"Her real name is Teanna. She looks like a pixie, with dark red hair cut in said style. She's about 5' 6'', has freckled skin, and green eyes. She's coming over to visit her friends this weekend, which is why I'm here."

"Wait, what's the reason? Us, or are we the reason that's not really the reason?" Tasuki asked.

"The second one," Nuriko answered. "How have you guys been anyways?"

"Extremely good," Chi responded. Nuriko looked from boy to boy.

"Do tell," he urged. "Details please, details." Silence fell upon their group.

"We met some girls on our first day here," Tama put in. "Over time we got to know them and ended up dating them."

"That's cool. How did you guys meet?"

"Stopped my girlfriends ex-boyfriend from beating her to death." Nuriko sat stunned. "Her name is Chelsea, and she'd been dating the bastard for a while. He was the abusive type. He'd hit her anytime he was mad. She told no one, save her friends. They did everything they could to make him stop, from threats to him to telling the authorities. No one believed them because Chelsea wouldn't fess up. K.C. had to do jail time because she followed through on one of her threats."

Tama sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair. "I would have taken her home with me, but K.C. took care of her afterwards. Met her at school the next day. You'd never know if anything was wrong with her. She was a little tense at first, not sure if she wanted to know us or not. Luckily she decided that she did. The time I realized I was in love with her was when we were at the fountain at school about a month later, eating lunch. Dropped down on one knee right there and asked her out." He laughed. "She blushed so red I thought she would turn into a strawberry. She responded that she would have to think about it. I don't if she asked her friends for advice, as girls usually do, but she came to me the next day and agreed to go out with me. I let her pick the first date, as her ex never let her pick at all."

Nuriko blinked. "Wow. Wish I could've been there to help. And who is K.C.?"

"My girldfriend," Chi said, pretending to focus on the game he was playing. Nuriko stared at him a while then turned to Suki and Tama and mouthed 'He has a girlfriend?' "Yes I do Nuriko. Next time ask outright." Chi finished his level before continuing. "I met her the same night Tasuki and Tamahome met Chelsea and Ashley. After the incident with Jacob, Chelsea's ex, Ashley called K.C. She arrived moments before the police did. If I hadn't restrained her she would have probably killed the boy. I've never seen anyone so pissed off. Well, Ashley has. She's a little fiendette when it comes to anger."

He tapped the screen of the game console lightly. "Like Tama I met her again at school. I asked her how Chelsea was doing. Conversation just picked up from there. She's real easy to talk to. Got to know us faster than the other two. I realized I loved her during PE, less romantic than Tama's. Asked her then and there if she would go out with me." He turned to look at Nuriko and smiled. "She said yes after contemplating if with herself for a few seconds. The next day Ashley came up to me and told me to treat her right or else. They're real protective of each other. She let me pick the date, said it's the man's job to have it all set up."

"Impressive Chi. I'm proud of you. And let me guess Tasuki, Ashley is your girlfriend?" Tasuki nodded, leaning back against the steeringwheel of the game he had been playing. "So, spit it out."

"You already know I met her at the same time as we met the other two, at Chelsea's house during the fight. Ashley was there before us. Truth is she blasted past us on the sidewalk and lead us there. Curiosity rarely kills the cat. It leads it to things that would otherwise go ignored. Anyway, when we got there, Ashley was attacking Jacob like an attack dog. Worse actually. More like a hell cat. Had to peel her off of him. Stuck like a barnacle."

He ran his hand over his face, a small smile coming forming on his lips. "Our getting to know each other was tougher than Tama's and Chi's. It got pretty rough about two months in. I was waiting for Ashley after school so we could practice our dance for Dance class, and some girl asked me to help her. Should have known what she was up to. The dance was a pretty kinky one after all. Ashley walked in on us and thought it was something else. It kind of fell out of us that we liked each other. Spent weeks aftwards trying to apologize. She finally accepted it and gave me a kiss to say she was sorry."

His smile fell. "About two week after we started dating I found out that she lived alone. Her parents had been murdered in front of her very eyes and the killer had very nearly had his way with her. But eight year old K.C. and Chelsea ran in when they heard the screaming, K.C. the 'Karate Kid' and Chelsea 'Jaws'. Those three are some of the toughest girls I've ever met." He shook his head and forced a smile. "Your turn. How did you meet Teanna?"

Nuriko sighed. "Not as exciting as yours. But I still think it was a stupendous happening. I was out walking in the downtown park at home and I heard her barking some boy up a tree. Turns out he got a little to excited. First date too. I came up and asked what the problem was. The boy, of course, was all, 'She wanted to get in my pants man. But I turned her down and she started yelling at me to make me look like I'm the bad guy'." Nuriko shook his head in disgust. The others had to agree. The way some guys did that was sick. What was even sicker about it was that everyone believed the guys because they're never in the wrong, apprantly, when it came to sex. A guy could be a player, and he was cool. If a girl was a player, she was a whore. All four felt that sexism had to take a flying leap off a cliff and get hit by a car.

"I sided with Teanna. When he said that she glared at me and said, 'I dare you to be a total scumbag and believe that pile of dog crap'. I told her you could tell he was lying because his voice was whiney, not angry, and even if he had been acting angry his attitude would be off. People who really want to understand the situation always know who is lying and who isn't."

"You da man Nuriko, you da man," Tasuki said, smiling. Nurkio smiled, Tama smiled, and Chi smiled. And together they thought of the girls who had brought their hearts together at this moment to understand a little more pain of the world, and that yes, there is a light in the darkest of corners.

...

Saturday, two days after quality time

"Tea!" Ashley squealed as her friend walked in the front door. Chelsea and K.C followed up on the hugs. Tasuki was out grocery shopping with they guys. "I've missed you so much. Chelsea said you had something to tell us."

"I do. Some guy named Hotohori tried to rape me."

...

Hate Hotohori. Everytime I saw him moving in on Miaka I felt like he was violating her. What a total corn on the cob. So of course I make him the bad guy;)

I change my mind. There will be no 'scenes' between the couples. I am young and my mom would kill me anyway. And the love confusion I mentioned in chapter three is no longer up for sale either. It would just mess with the whole thing I've got going for the characters.

Hate Hotohori!


	5. Chapter 5

This is the very last chapter of Pieces of a Puzzle. This story didn't go as well as I thought it would (I must admit). Oh well. Hope you readers enjoyed it even the tinsiest bit (is tinsiest a word?).

...

Chapter 5: Jigsaw Complete

"We could hang him upside from K.C.'s high ceiling by his big toes...with those choke chains some people use for dog collars," Chelsea suggested as she walked into Ashley's living room holding a glass of Chai tea.

"Or we could put him in an Iron Lady, only instead of spikes we could use a swarm of bees and a colony of fire ants," Teanna put in as she drank a Coke.

"Maybe we could pull out his fingernails and toenails, slowly, one by one, and in their place put white hot quarters," K.C. said, flicking through the channels on Ashley's giant flat screen TV.

Ashley walked past them and threw a couple of spiked bracelets onto her coffee table. "Acupuncture," she said simply as she went into the kitchen.

The other three stared at the dull spikes for a moment before continuing.

"I say we chain him to the wheel of a monster truck, spread eagle, while they do one of those monster truck battle things," Teanna said.

"Nah. How about we use him for dart board practice?" K.C. asked. Chelsea shook her head.

"We could remake the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie," she told them.

"Beat him up, then chain him to the underside of a mattress, and electrocute him," Ashley said blandly as she went past them again to her room. The others watched her go before continuing once more.

"We could convince him to go skydiving with us, then push him out of the plane with no parachute," Chelsea added.

"Instead of skydiving, let's make it bungee jumping, only instead of giving him a bungee cord we tie him to a rope that looks like a bungee cord," K.C. said.

"Better yet, we could dress him up as a woman, and instead of remaking Texas Chainsaw, we could remake the Hills Have Eyes," Teanna suggested. Chelsea made a face and K.C. gagged.

"I have a even better idea," Ashley said as she returned to the living room. "First, we'll put his head on an executioners block, and tie him down so he can't get up. Second, we'll get a pair of really dull scissors. Teanna can do the honor of cutting off his head with those dull scissors. Start at the very back of his neck, and snip _slowly_, using just the tips of the scissors at first."

The room filled with silence. "You've been watching too many horror movies," Chelsea said, staring at her friend.

"What was all that about?" a male voice said. All four girls turned to see Tama, Chi, Tasuki, and a purple haired stranger standing in the doorway. All four boys had looks of horror on their faces.

"Torture plans for some dick name Hotohori," Ashley replied with a shrug, going back into the kitchen.

Tama, Chi and Tasuki looked at each other, than at the stranger.

"So it _was _him," Tasuki said. Tama and Chi looked disgusted.

"Wait a minute," K.C. growled, turning off the TV and getting up to face them. "You know this guy?"

"Yeah, at least we thought we did. We used to go to school together, before Tasuki dropped out and Tama and I moved," Chi replied.

"Who's he?" Chelsea asked, poking the purple haired boy and looking at him suspiciously. "Oh, that's Nuriko," Tama said.

"They told me all about you three," Nuriko said as he held out a hand. Chelsea shook it, gave him a small smile, than went into the kitchen with Ashley. K.C. scowled at them before following her friends.

"Sorry," Teanna said as she stood up. She walked over to Nuriko and hugged him. "They don't like it when others talk about their personal information," she told him, eyeing the other three boys.

"They didn't tell me much, just how they met," Nuriko informed her.

Seconds later there was the sound of breaking glass and a shout of "GREAT GALLOPING GUMDROPS!!" They ran to the kitchen, Tasuki reaching it first, to see Ashley kneeling on the floor holding her head in her hands. Chelsea and K.C. stood on either side of her while they calmed her.

"What happened?" Tasuki asked, his voice coated in concern as he looked at the floor. Shards of glass where everywhere.

"She dropped another bowl," K.C. said, gesturing at the glassy mess.

"Another?" Chi asked.

"She's dropped at least four, ever since she found out about Hotohori," Chelsea answered, stroking her friends hair.

Teanna fidgeted. Ashley only dropped things when she was focusing on something else...thinking deeply about information she had heard but couldn't quite understand. Which meant she knew there was more to Teanna's story than what she had told them.

Tasuki made his way into the kitchen, walking across the glass in his shoes, and crouched down in front of Ashley. He whispered to her, so quietly no one else could her. Chelsea and K.C. looked at each other.

"Teanna is only telling us half the story," Ashley said suddenly. The others stared at her. Teanna fidgeted. "There's more to it than what she said. And I think you had better tell us, now." K.C. and Chelsea turned to look at their friend while Nuriko looked away shamefully.

"Well...what happened was...was...Hotohori and I had been going out for some time and...and...well...one night, he got drunk and...you know...he didn't _try_ to get into my pants...he actually did...and I couldn't stop him...and I'm...I'm...I'm...I'M PREGNANT!!" The last two words were shouted out loudly. Stunned silence met them face to face. After a moment Chelsea sat down on the ground with a thunk, K.C.'s eyes narrowed dangerously, Tama fell back against the doorframe, Chi's mouth fell open and his eyes went wide, Tasuki looked down at the ground with a look befitting an angry rhino, while Ashley and Teanna stared at each other across the room.

"Are you going to get an abortion?" Ashley asked. The question brought everyone back down to earth. Teanna shook her head.

"No. It's not the baby's fault, and Nuriko is going to help me take care of him," she answered softly.

Ashley smiled. "The baby is a he?"

"I'm just saying because calling the baby an 'it' sounds wrong," Teanna responded with a small smile back. "Especially since its already two months along."

"TWO MONTHS! WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL US!" Chelsea roared, slamming her fist against the ground. "FOR PETE'S SAKE! WE CARE ABOUT YOU IDIOT! DON'T KEEP SECRETS!"

Teanna looked down at the ground.

"What I want to know is why couldn't you stop him?" K.C. asked. "You've got quite a left hook, and yet you couldn't beat back some stupid boy who was so drunk you could have knocked him out with a hanger?"

"I was drunk too," came the quiet reply. "I...it was...a mistake! I'm s-sorry! P-p-please don't b-be m-mad at m-me!" Teanna rubbed at her eyes, trying to stop the flow of tears. Moments later she felt arms around her.

"We're not mad at you Tea," Ashley crooned gently. "Just disappointed that you drank and that you lied to us, and upset that you didn't trust us with the truth. You are right. You made a mistake. And that's all it was...a mistake. Everyone makes them. Why would I get mad at you for making a mistake when I've made them too?"

Tea cried harder and collapsed against her friend.

"Hey Nuriko, I take it that that story you told us was a lie?"

"Yep. This is what really happened."

When Teanna stopped crying Ashley asked the million dollar question. "Now, instead of torturing Hotohori, what are we really going to do about him?"

...

The group of friends waited patiently; Chelsea and Ashley on the swings with Tama and Suki pushing them, K.C. and Chi upside down on the monkey bards, and Nuriko going up and down the slide. They watched carefully while on the far side of the sandbox, sitting on a bench, Teanna spoke to a boy with long black hair. A while back the boy had put his head in his hands and his shoulders shook. Teanna had then comforted him, and now Hotohori was nodding his head and talking back to her.

Hours later Teanna walked slowly back over, with Hotohori trailing behind. When they reached the group Hotohori apologized to his friends, who said to him what Ashley had said to Teanna...with a slight difference. Chi wacked him hard upside the head, while Tasuki cracked his knuckles and Tama warned him never to do it again or else.

Hotohori then apologized to Teanna's friends. K.C. glared at him full force, clearly attempting to set him on fire with her eyes alone, but accepted. Chelsea accepted his apology as well but still gave him a warning look. Ashley accepted, warned him about the consequences of his actions, then asked Tasuki if he could keep pushing her.

After that Hotohori left...to turn himself in. The group of friends watched him go.

"Do you think he really is sorry?" Chelsea asked, stopping in her climb up the stairs to the slide.

"As much as I hate him...yeah I do," K.C. responded. "He comes off as an annoying busy body, but you can tell he's sweet inside. Anyone is capable of doing what he did, no matter how sweet they are. But it takes a man to own up to it."

"So what's going to happen?" Nuriko asked Tea.

"Well, he's going to use his savings to pay for child support. Then as soon as he gets out of prison he's going to get a job, and help pay for diapers, baby food, bottles, other baby stuff. In return, I let him see his kid on weekends and holidays."

"Works for me," Ashley said as she continued to swing.

"Hey Ashley, didn't you hate Hotohori at all?" Suki asked as he watched her. The others turned to look at her. She stopped.

"Of course, look at what he did. But it's like what you told him. It was a mistake. And you can't hate somebody forever. Doing so is just an excuse to be angry. There's no reason for it. Plus he wasn't the only one at fault. Teanna was a part of it. She got drunk too, not just Hotohori. Both of them owned up the that mistake; Teanna is going to raise the child, not kill it, and Hotohori is going to prison."

"You really thought about it didn't you?" Chi asked.

Ashley shrugged. "Each individual person's life is one big fat jigsaw puzzle. Some people put it together too fast and look what happens. You've got to take it slow, examine each and every piece throughly, before fitting it in. If a piece doesn't fit, it obviously must go somewhere else, so step back and fix it. Don't throw it out and say it doesn't belong there. It does...just not where you might expect."

...

The End. I hope you enjoyed! I had an urge to continue to rant. I just hate it when people go out and get an abortion because they got pregnant by 'mistake'. I'm sorry, but if your old enough to have sex, your old enough to have a baby. You'd better own up to that mistake. Raise the kid, don't kill it because you had sex and the condom broke, or whatever else happened, and you got pregnant when you didn't want to. If you don't want to get pregnant, DON'T HAVE SEX! ABSTINENCE PEOPLE! ABSTINENCE!! However if the person was raped, I can understand that. Just don't go screaming rape as an excuse to kill some poor innocent baby over mommy's mistakes.

Well, please R&R. I'd really like to know what you thought about my story.


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